Bloodwych is a first-person action RPG released for the Atari ST by studio Images Software through Mirrorsoft, and its main selling point at the time of release was a unique split-screen two-player mode, in which two players could control their own characters and jointly move through the same dungeon, cooperate on puzzles, and even fight each other if they chose to compete. The game takes place in a world divided into several separate dungeons, between which the player moves, collecting equipment, spells, and experience while gradually building up the party's strength, with individual levels offering different environments, enemies, and hidden treasures that motivate thorough exploration.
On the Atari ST, the game ran smoothly even in split-screen two-player mode, which at the time of release was a technically demanding requirement placing high demands on both processor performance and memory, and the controls combined mouse with keyboard shortcuts for quick access to inventory and spells. The graphics relied on simple but legible 3D corridors in the spirit of dungeon crawlers of the time, and the sound design was sparse but functional — the emphasis was placed above all on gameplay, clarity of controls, and cooperation between two players sitting at one screen. Players created their characters according to their own preferences from several classes and races, which gave room to experiment with party composition and try out different play styles across repeated playthroughs.
Bloodwych received a positive reception in the contemporary press, chiefly thanks to its multiplayer concept, which was unique in the dungeon crawler genre and foreshadowed later interest in cooperative RPG experiences on home computers. Today the game remains an interesting historical stop for fans of the genre — as a solo game it may feel archaic and simple, but as evidence of experimentation with multiplayer on 16-bit platforms, at a time when few games offered comparable cooperation, it still has value and recalls an era when two players at one monitor were a common form of entertainment.
Why play it: For its unique multiplayer concept, where two players shared one dungeon crawler at one monitor — as a solo game it feels archaic today, but as evidence of experimentation with cooperation it still has value.
Game 36 of 72 for Atari ST
